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Four Winter Diet Points to Keep Cats Healthy
Cold weather means cats burn more energy and need smarter feeding to stay well. Beyond cat food, add freeze-dried meat snacks like chicken, quail, or herring to keep energy up, top up vitamins and trace elements, supplement calcium in moderation, and make sure your cat drinks enough warm water. These four adjustments help fend off the minor illnesses winter tends to bring.
Five Rare Cat Diseases Every Owner Should Know
Most cat illnesses are familiar, but a few rare conditions can catch owners off guard. From contagious mites and bizarre allergic behavior to the much-feared FIP, hormone-driven acromegaly, and a mysterious nervous-system disorder, these diseases are uncommon yet serious. Knowing the warning signs helps you seek the right diagnosis before a rare illness becomes untreatable.
Four Winter Diet Tips to Keep Cats Healthy
Cold weather raises a cat's energy needs and weakens its natural defenses, making winter a season of extra health risks. Supporting your cat's immunity through diet is one of the simplest ways to help it sail through the cold months. From adding more meat to the kibble to topping up vitamins, calcium, and warm water, here are four practical feeding adjustments every owner should know for a healthy, comfortable winter.
Symptoms of Fever and Colds in Cats
A cat's normal temperature runs higher than a human's, but cats get fevers and colds too. Because they cannot tell us, the signs are easy to miss. Look for a cat that suddenly prefers cool floors and shady spots, has a hot dry nose, seems unusually sleepy with rapid breathing, and has warm ears and belly. Low urine output points to dehydration. Watch also for hypothermia: below 35°C is life-threatening, and pale extremities mean you should rush to the vet.
Cat Health Checkup Guide (Part 2)
This second part walks through what actually happens during a cat checkup: the physical, laboratory, and imaging exams. Knowing the routine helps owners make informed decisions and give their cat a more secure, well-supported life.
Common Everyday Cat Illnesses (Part 2)
Five more common cat conditions: (1) Panleukopenia (feline distemper) — a fierce, contagious viral disease hitting gut and airways; fever, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, dehydration; high death rate in under-8-week kittens, so vaccinate and rush to a vet at the first sign (lice, mites, fleas can spread it). (2) Cancer — rarer than in dogs but cats hide pain; watch for lumps, non-healing skin infections, weight loss, vomiting, odd urination. (3) Kidney disease — common in seniors; low appetite, weight drop, vomiting, lethargy; needs dialysis or transplant when severe. (4) Fractures — from falls; sudden limping or hiding. (5) Poisoning — from human food or toxic plants; repeated vomiting/diarrhea, blood in stool/urine; vets give fluids and anti-emetics. Don't rely on self-healing—use a trusted clinic.
Why Cats Love Running Water
A cat's fascination with running water is instinct, not mischief. In the wild, cats drink moving water because still water breeds unseen bacteria, and a dripping tap also triggers curiosity and a sense of hunting for sources. Cats also smell roughly 200,000 times better than we do, so they dislike the chlorine and stale scent of water left standing in a bowl. The fix is simple: a circulating fountain, water placed away from food, and a refresh two or three times a day. Good intake matters — low water leads to urinary stones and kidney disease.
Recipe: Chicken Paste for Cats
Chicken paste is one of the easiest homemade cat foods to make, and its soft texture makes it ideal for kittens, older cats, or any cat that needs extra hydration. Poach a chicken breast in water for about five minutes, then blend the meat and broth together for a minute or two until smooth. The result is a gentle, high-protein meal you can serve on its own or stir into a cat's regular food.
What Exactly Is Freeze-Dried Cat Food?
Freeze-dried (FD) food is made by freezing ingredients below -30°C and drying them under vacuum so water sublimates, keeping nutrition and shape largely intact for long storage. Benefits: minimal nutrient loss, unchanged appearance, long shelf life (~10 months), and good rehydration and palatability. It comes as staple or treat FD, fed dry, rehydrated, or mixed with other food. Watch the pitfalls—substandard 'FD' that's really air-dried, and bacterial overload—and choose reputable factory products, quality meat, sensible pricing, opaque sealed packaging, and irradiation sterilization.
What to Do When a Cat with a Cold Won’t Eat
A cat with a cold feels as miserable as a sick person and may refuse food and lose spirit. If the cold worsens it can also vomit, diarrhea, or dehydrate. Keep the cat hydrated—if it won't drink, syringe-feed water. Feed small, frequent meals that are finished within about 20 minutes to stay fresh, and choose strongly scented foods (like fish-based cans) since a stuffy nose dulls smell and appetite. A robust cat can recover from an ordinary cold with enough food, water, and micronutrients; severe viral or bacterial colds need a vet to find the cause and treat it.